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Battles of the Borealum Space Marines
Borealum held against all manner of invaders – some so strange as to defy the comprehension of the common man. The Borealum Space Marines have tested their might against Ork Waaaghs, renegade uprisings, Tau incursions and Necron raids, but the measure of their heroism is shown truest in battles where they have defended the galaxy itself in the face of threats from within and beyond known space. So did the Sons of Boreale prove in the 35th Millennium in battle against Warboss Digsugka during the Havenfall Massacre, the legendary Kaurava Campaign in the 40th Millennium that resulted in a decisive victory for Borealum that saw the rise of Indick Boreale, the Maelstrom Crusade, the heroic struggle against Tyranid Hive Fleet Shagadog in the Battle for Borea, the Cleansing of Tyrannus II, and the heroic defence of Emmalas IV. Havenfall Massacre In the 35th millennium, on the fringes of Borealum, an Ork Waaaghs had slowly encroached upon Borealum’s Northern borders. The de-facto master of the Borealum Space Marines at the time, Apollo Dieomedes; Captain of the 1st Company formed a taskforce consisting of the 1st, 4th, and 5th companies to repel the encroaching xenos. Apollo Dieomedes enacted a plan of rapid response to whichever area the Orks entered Borealum space, in an effort to repel every advance the Orks dared to attempt. All worlds in the Northern sector were ordered to evacuate non-military and non-administrative personnel to the safety of the western, eastern, and central sectors of Borealum, whilst the manufacturing capabilities of the worlds were altered to produce weapons of war; advanced armaments for the Borealum Auxilia garrisons, and devastating defensive weaponry to halt and annihilate xeno incursions. The defence of the Northern fringes was a resounding success. Within minutes of a xeno incursion being detected, the Orks would immediately be met with devastating fire from planetary defences, and then quickly flanked and surrounded by Borealum Space Marine strike cruisers, battle barges, and supporting Borealum Auxilia battleships. Not once did even a single ork successfully land on a Borean world. Driven to desperation at the halting of his Waaagh and the failure of his Orks to even set foot on the worlds that they sought to loot, Warboss Digsugka concentrated as much of his Waaagh into a single massive fleet and directed the entirety of the fleet towards the closest target world, Havenfall in hopes of at least looting a single world with pure numbers and mass. In the opening stages of the attack, the fleet was met with the same response as to every other incursion. Devastating static defences on Havenfall sprang to life, releasing volley after volley of devastating laser and plasma, while strike cruisers arrived from the warp, blasting away at the ork fleet from every angle. Countless scores of ork vessels were blasted into oblivion. However, with the sheer numbers and mass of the fleet, half of the ork fleet managed to break into the world’s atmosphere and disembark onto the planet’s surface. Thus, the event that would be known as the Havenfall Massacre began. Having already deduced the plans of Warboss Digsugka, Apollo sprung the trap as the last remnants of the weakened ork fleet landed on Havenfall. The entirety of the 1st, 4th, and 5th companies, as well as entire regiments of the Borealum Auxilia of the northern sector appeared in the massive deserts of Havenfall and surrounded the Orks. The Orks landing site had been forced upon them with the placement of static defences and the positioning of the defence fleets, unbeknownst to the Orks who were led as if a flock of sheep. In a gambit, Apollo had chosen to take advantage of the Ork’s irrational behaviour and furious temper to lead them into a foolish charge towards the nearest world, and be met by the entire taskforce and the majority of the Northern Auxilia. The Borean forces launched their attack on the confused horde, and with the support of the Borean fleets orbiting the landing sites, utterly devastated the Orks. Warboss Digsugka himself was killed in a duel with Apollo Dieomedes. The remaining Orks of the Digsugka’s Waaagh were thrown into anarchy, most disbanding and forming separate clans, while the remnants of the ork Waaagh’s command structure fell apart, making for easy purification by the Borealum Auxilia. Soon, not a single ork existed in the Northern Fringes of Borealum, and none since would ever dare to approach.  Kaurava Campaign In the calm after the Iztvaan V campaign, Indick Boreale sought to not only strengthen the realm of Borealum, but also expand its borders, something which had not been accomplished, let alone attempted, since the disappearance of Indrick Boreale. With Indick Boreale’s inspiring leadership, the Borealum Space Marines continuously ventured into conflicted and uncharted space, seeking opportunities to expand their empire. In mere months, countless worlds were colonized and garrisoned, brought into the fold of Borealum and protected by the Borealum Auxilia, whilst the Space Marines continued their unrelenting crusade of expansion. However, the Space Marines would soon be involved in an all-out war and in-fighting between numerous alien races and several branches of the Imperium’s armed forces in a system that seemed beyond redemption. When lead elements of the Borealum Space Marines 2nd Company arrived in the Kaurava system, seeking to claim the worlds in their expansion crusade, they instead found worlds in conflict. Although it was formally known that the worlds were once deserted by the Imperium, the Borealum Space Marines not only found forces of the Ecclesiarchy and Imperial Guard in the Kaurava, but also other sizable armies of numerous xeno races such as the Eldar, Tau, Orks, and Necrons, as well as the traitorous and demonic forces of Chaos. The 2nd Company initially tried to establish communications with the Imperial Guard, but found them to either be uncooperative or hostile. Contact with the Adeptus Sororitas of the Ecclesiarchy, however, could not be established at all, either leading to complete radio silence or incomprehensible vox chatter. The 2nd Company landed upon Kaurava II in an attempt to establish contact with the Adeptus Sororitas which had been located there, in order to gain access to and retrieve all possible information on the conflicts in the system before the core elements of the Borealum Space Marine expansion crusade reached the sector, so that a quick and decisive resolution to the conflicts could be established, and any possible claims on the unclaimed worlds of Kaurava made with the least amount of conflict and disruption. Upon landing on Kaurava II, the 2nd Company found a devastated world littered with the results of a brutal war. Numerous wrecks and corpses of the Adeptus Sororitas and the Imperial Guard could be distinguished. Tracing the source of Sororitas vox chatter, the 2nd Company scoured the planet in search of any possible surviving members of the Sororitas forces. Whilst exploring the northern reaches of Kaurava II, Marneus Kalgar; Captain of the 2nd Company, received a signal from a distress beacon activated at the northern pole of Kaurava II, with signatures that indicated it was activated by forces of the Adeptus Sororitas. Kalgar led the 2nd Company to scour the northern pole of Kaurava II with haste, seeking to find answers as to the cause of the evident slaughter of Imperial forces. Arriving at a well-concealed underground fortress, the 2nd Company breached the fortress after being unable to establish contact with its occupants. Immediately after entering, the Space Marines were fired upon by lasguns, and were forced to eradicate the hostiles in the underground facility. It was discovered after examining the destroyed corpses of the hostiles that they were in fact Imperial Guard forces. The 2nd Company ventured deeper into the facility until sudden contact with Sororitas forces was made. Maelstrom Crusade   The Battle for Borea Upon learning of the threat posed to Borealum by Hive Fleet Shagadog, Indick Boreale at once drew his plans. Deeming Borea to be the world most immediately threatened, Boreale ordered its formidable defences to be further improved. A dozen warships already hung in orbit, and each day more arrived from the Warp. Massively beweaponed strike cruisers cast shadows over civilian vessels and Borealum PDF destroyers, and were themselves dwarfed by the brooding presence of the Borealum Space Marine Battle Barges. Between this mighty fleet of warships and the world’s no less formidable orbital defence stations, Borea was anything but defenceless. Scant weeks later, the outrider vessels of the Tyranid fleet arrived to attack Borea. The alien bio-vessels swept aside attacks by Borealum Space Marine Strike Cruisers and swarmed over the planet below. Soon many thousands of spore-birthed beasts scurried and rampaged across Borea. Deeming that the Tyranid threat was too massive to be opposed piecemeal, Boreale combined his ground forces into three might armies. The primary and secondary taskforces composed largely of 1st Company veterans and Borealum Planetary Defence Forces, bolstered Borea’s polar fortresses against the Tyranid onslaught. Meanwhile, Boreale’s taskforce, the largest of the three, performed a series of rearguard actions, attempting to slow the Tyranid advance and eliminate Hive control organisms. Boreale achieved great success in the campaign. However, the Tyranids kept coming. In a final climatic battle at the Citadel of Hera, the Borealum Space Marines were forced to withdraw to the orbiting Battle Barge Hammer of Borealum. The Master of Borea took command of the fleet, and sought a way to prevent further loss on Borea. Hours later, the main Tyranid fleet arrived at Brea. With no sign of reinforcements, Boreale led his fleet in a series of daring attacks, striking at isolated vessels as they spread out to invade Brea in force. Caught between the blistering firepower of Borea’s polar fortresses and the vengeful ordnance of Boreale’s fleet, Tyranid vessels were destroyed by the score. As the battle raged, the Tyranids unleashed thousands of spores above the vital polar fortresses. Their gruesome cargo delivered, the battered Hive Ships retreated from orbit. Trusting his Borealum Space Marines to keep the fortresses secure, Boreale relentlessly pursued the Tyranid fleet, determined that it would not bring ruin to other worlds. Never since has the valour of the Borealum Space Marines been shown as it was in the defence of the polar fortresses. The veteran Space Marines of the 1st Company led the Borealum Auxilia in a tenacious defence of the fortresses, holding every wall and trench until the last possible moment before it was overrun by the Tyranid swarm. Slowly the troops withdrew ever deeper into the fortress, while making the Tyranids pay for every single meter of ground they advanced. The titans of Legio Borea stalked the ice fields and drove smoking furrows through the onrushing Tyranid hordes with shells and plasma. The ferocity of the swarms was unbelievable. At the northern fortress they overran the walls by using the steaming piles of their own dead. Titans were dragged down and ripped apart by sheer weight of numbers. The defenders’ gun barrels glowed red hot and jammed in spite of the arctic cold, ammunition began to run low though the fortress contained stockpiles for years of siege. Yet still the defenders fought on. Lesser men were paralysed with terror as the Tyranids broke through the perimeter again and again, but the Borealum Space Marines never despaired and never gave thought to defeat. The War in Space Boreale pursued the Tyranid fleet toward the ringed world of Joxis at the edge of Segmentum Borea. The timely arrival of the Borealum 52nd fleet from Iztvaan finally sealed the Tyranids in a vice between the two fleets. Even now, the Borean fleet was outnumbered, but the fury of the Borean fleet held the Tyranids at bay. The battle raged on in a stalemate until the heroic sacrifice of the Dominus Borea. Charging into the heart of the Hive Fleet, the massive Emperor-class battleship detonated its Warp drives, creating a vortex that dragged both it and the entire Tyranid fleet into oblivion. With the Hive Fleet dealt with, Boreale’s fleets came about and roared back towards Borea to save the beleaguered polar garrisons. The survivors of the Borealum Space Marines 1st Company and the Borealum Auxilia were believed still to be fighting amongst the defence laser silos of the northern citadel, but all contact with them had been lost after the Tyranids overran the surface outposts. Of the southern garrison, nothing was known except that they had withdrawn to the lower penitorium. The Space Marines of the 6th and 9th Companies deployed onto the poles by Drop Pod, their supporting units following in Thunderhawk Gunships. Scenes of unbelievable carnage awaited them below. Piles of mangled Tyranid corpses and shattered wargear lay strewn across the ice. Vast steaming craters pocked the snows where Titan plasma reactors had gone critical. The 9th Company landed unopposed at the southern fortress and quickly linked up with the survivors of the garrison above ground. Battle for the Northern Fortress In the north, the 6th company came under attack as soon as it landed. Hundreds of creatures emerged from dark tunnel mouths and shattered bunkers to assail the Space Marines. Only staunch fire from the Company’s Devastator squads kept the alien warm at bay until Thunderhawk Gunships arrived to blast the Tyranids back into the darkness. The dark, dank corridors beneath the northern fortress were already altered by the alien presence. Alien screams and roars echoed and reverberated along the tunnels. The Space Marines pushed onward into corridors littered with Tyranid dead, the darkness reluctantly receding before their suit lights. Lictors laid in ambush amongst the corpses, slashing into the advance squads, but not before being burned and flushed out by flamers. Even as fire consumed them, the creatures still leapt forward with claws outstretched to rend. Through darkness and terrors unimaginable, the 6th Company finally reached the lower penitorium where the defenders had supposedly made their last stand. To the surprise of the 6th Company, they found the still-breathing remnants of the northern garrison, who had held out until their arrival. Aftermath The Battle for Borea remains a great source of pride for the Borealum Space Marines. The names of its fallen are commemorated each year at the Feast of Days, their sacrifice remembered throughout Ultramar with honour and gratitude. But the cost had been great, as the 3rd, 4th, and reserve companies had lost more than a quarter of their marines, and the majority of the Borealum Auxilia stationed on Borea had been slaughtered. It would be many years before the Chapter could properly replace its losses, but replace them it would. The Borealum Space Marines would endure. Cleansing of Tyrannus II   Defence of Emmalas IV The barren frontier world of Emmalas IV orbited a small sun in the eastern outskirts outside the borders of Borealum. The planet had only just been just been recently colonized by Imperial Explorations. The desert planet had two main concentrations of human life, Olos City and Port Mackenzie. This world was initially marked as a potential recruit world for the Borealum Space Marines for its harsh environment, which could potentially have been a great source of recruits. With a human population of 87 million, Olos city was a growing metropolis, home to 70% of the world’s population. Situated east of Olos city, Port Mackenzie was the only capable spaceport on Emmalas IV. The majority of interplanetary travel from and to Emmalas IV is through Port Mackenzie. Garrisoned by a small force of planetary defence militia and a small Imperial Guard detachment, the world had only seen peace in the past, and the sense of safety on being at the edges of Borealum space was reassuring to the populace. However, for reasons still unknown, numerous xeno, daemonic, and heretical forces soon set their eyes on Emmalas IV, and descended upon the planet in a storm of violence and bloodshed. In mere hours since the first reports of hostile activity on the planet, more than a quarter of the world’s population had been massacred, or had suffered a fate worse than death. The planetary governor of Emmalas IV immediately evacuated much of the populace to the relative safety of the urban areas, and sent out calls for assistance, pleading for reinforcements from all branches of the Imperium, but most specifically to the Borealum Space Marines. Responding to the call for help, the 3rd, 14th, 16th, and 21st companies sprang to action, warping into the orbit of Emmalas IV. Additionally, Indick Boreale himself arrived at Emmalas IV with the 0th company aboard the venerable Battle-Barge, Judgement of Boreale. While the other companies of the Borealum Space Marines had arrived with the simple aim to defend the world and drive out the xenos, Indick Boreale was interested in unravelling the aim of the invaders, and why so many had set their eyes on Emmalas IV, and had sent invasion forces of such massive size to seize a single planet. Indick Boreale believed it was not simple coincidence that so many would descend upon the world simultaneously and in such force, and that there must be something of immense value that has been located on the world. If the enemies of the Imperium were so intent on acquiring it, they cannot be allowed to achieve that goal, and the Borealum Space Marines must acquire it for themselves instead. Upon entering low-orbit over the Bidaadea Highlands, the Borealum Space Marines 3rd and 16th companies deployed to secure the territory around the positions of Imperial forces, aiming to rid the Necron and Chaos forces which have laid siege to the Imperial defensive positions, Olos City, and Port Mackenzie, and to reinforce the Imperial Guard positions. The 14th and 21st companies deployed in hostile territory, aiming to hinder the efforts of the Tau and the Eldar, preventing them from gaining ground on the planet, as well as disrupting the forces that established a foothold so that offensive operations could not be properly organized. However, the Borealum Space Marines were suddenly contacted by the Inquisition, and were informed of an unsettling revelation. The Inquisition had once been inquiring into possible corruption in the ranks of the Imperial Guard Regiments that currently serve as the garrison of Emmalas IV, and that supposedly irrefutable proof of their chaotic corruption had been uncovered, and that the Imperial Guard were to be declared traitors and to be cleansed by the Borealum Space Marines. Despite having once fought alongside the regiments currently defending Emmalas IV, the Borealum Space Marines understood better than any that the Inquisition’s will is absolute, and the possibility of chaotic influence and heresy amongst the guardsmen was not a matter to simply be ignored. Although the Borealum Space Marines placed their faith in the Inquisition’s judgement, they continued to look for signs of Chaotic influence and heresy among the guard, overseeing their own investigation into possible corruption amongst the guardsmen, as a purge of the Imperial Guard without their own belief in their corruption, and at a time of conflict such as this would only serve to weaken their own efforts and allow the enemy forces on Emmalas IV to gain ground. A day after the Borealum Space Marine’s arrival, the enemies that the Borealum Space Marines had come to Emmalas IV to smite finally made a move. Scouts stationed in the vast deserts known as the Grey Mesas had reported that figures with Chaos symbols and markings have been spotted manoeuvring in the distance. The Western flank of Olos city still had Chaos forces garrisoned, and it was hypothesized that they are marching towards Imperial held territory in an attempt to surround the city’s West and South-Western flanks. Thunderhawks and drop pods have been readied on the battle barge Judgement of Boreale, in the event that the Chaos forces would be so bold and foolish to dare manoeuvre southwards. In an effort to reduce the threat and severity of attacks on the Eastern front by xenos and heretics, the Borealum Space Marines continued to set up listening posts and scout positions along the outskirts of the city, allowing for rapid response to enemy movement. The Imperial Guard continued to construct defensive perimeters around the cities and small defensive fortifications on the outskirts to spot enemy movements, delay enemy forces, and assist in securing beachheads for offensive and defensive operations, under the protection of the Borealum Space Marines. While consolidating their positions near the outskirts of Hive City Olos, a Tau strike force launched a surprise attack. Chapter Master Indick Boreale was at the outskirts to oversee the construction of Imperial Guard defence lines near the ruins of a small town, meant to be utilized for defence against possible Necron and Chaos offenses on the Eastern front. Indick had set up a temporary command and control station and listening post to defend the construction crews as they toiled to construct the defensive structures, and allowed them to detect and scout the advancing Tau strike force. After quickly evaluating the tactical and strategic importance of the defence lines and the risks of allowing the Tau to disrupt the constructions, as well as the strength of the Tau strike force, Indick Boreale moved to intercept the strike force before it could arrive at the defence lines. The Tau struck with devastating speed and agility, opening fire on the Space Marines as they advanced towards the Tau. Although the Tau were able to inflict minor wounds on several marines, the firepower of the Space Marines drove the Tau back. Overwhelmed by the Space Marine forces led by Indick Boreale, the Tau were forced to retreat as they were assaulted by the Borealum Space Marines, who charged their lines in furious assault, devastating numerous units of Tau forces, and utterly destroying the Tau lines. Shortly after engaging the Tau strike force, a Chaos warband launched a surprise attack on the Borealum Space Marines as they continued to route the Tau. Indick Boreale considered the current status of his men and the strength of the Chaos warband and chose to remain on the battlefield along with a veteran squad of the 0th Company as remainder of the Space Marine consolidation force withdrew to the Imperial Guard lines to prevent additional Chaos incursions. Indick Boreale guided his men to tactical brilliance, and under the combined fire of the tactical squad, and the concentrated and precise firepower of the capital weaponry aboard the Battle-Barge, the Judgement of Boreale, the Chaos space marines were quickly wiped out. However, foul daemons emerged from the warp shortly after the Chaos space marines were vanquished. Unleashing foul daemonic sorcery, the daemons incurred heavy losses on the lone squad. Undaunted, Indick Boreale fired upon the daemons, and with support from the tactical squad, wiped out much of the daemons until a wounded bloodthirster remained. Facing the bloodthirster in single combat once again, Indick Boreale effortlessly smote the bloodthirster within seconds. Receiving reports that the Space Marines that he had sent to the Imperial Guard lines were engaging Chaos warbands that were harassing the guard lines, Indick Boreale and the remnants of the lone squad withdrew to support their brothers, but not before signalling for the apothecaries upon the medical Thunderhawk, Lerraman’s Blessing, to retrieve the gene-seeds of the honoured brothers that had fallen in combat. The battlefield was soon left littered with the corpses of traitors and daemons, rotting in the sands.